Encryption Key Error Checking Without Direct Key Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for checking and detecting errors in encryption and decryption keys are inefficient, insecure, and risk exposing the keys due to direct storage in memory, lacking speed and security.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing an additive decomposition of encryption and decryption keys into independent data elements, combined with a linear congruential generation function, allows for error detection without storing the original key, ensuring security and speed through independent storage and verification of decomposed elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If encryption keys are stored directly in memory for checking, then error detection can be performed, but security is compromised due to potential key exposure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror detection capabilityVSAvoidkey exposure risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The encryption key is divided into N independent data elements (X1, X2, ..., XN) where each element is stored separately in memory. The original key is never stored intact, eliminating the security risk of key exposure while enabling error detection through verification of the segmented elements and their relationships.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If conventional error detection methods are used on stored keys, then errors can be detected, but the process is slow and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror detection accuracyVSAvoidchecking speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-computes and stores verification data including the sum of all data elements, the sum of their squares, and other mathematical properties during key generation. During error detection, these pre-computed values are quickly compared against newly calculated values from the stored elements, enabling fast verification without intensive real-time computation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the original encryption key is stored in memory for verification, then checking can be performed, but security is weakened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveverification capabilityVSAvoidsecurity vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses mathematical relationships (sums, products, modular arithmetic properties) as intermediaries to verify the integrity of the key elements without exposing the elements themselves. These mathematical properties serve as proxies that enable verification while maintaining security, acting as mediators between the need for checking and the requirement for secrecy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12566651B2Error detection for encryption or decryption keys

Publication Date: 2026.03.03 STMICROELECTRONICS BELGIUM

AI summary

The present description concerns a method of checking a first data element, executed by an electronic device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the first data element is divided in N second data elements being stored in the memory, and first data element being equal to the sum, modulo the dimension of a space comprising the first data element, of the N second data elements, wherein an image of the first data element by a LCG function is stored in the memory, and the method comprising a step of checking if the image of the first data element by the LCG function is equal to the sum, modulo the module of the LCG function, of a product of an integer varying from 0 to N−1 and an image of the dimension by the LCG function, and of the images of the second data elements by the LCG function.